As music lovers gird up for this year’s Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Festival scheduled for Friday 28th to Sunday 30th August 2020, the question on the lips of many is “who wins what?”
Dubbed the VGMA Weekend, thirty (30) Awards will be presented at two (2) exclusive events on Friday 28, and Saturday 29th August at 8 pm each night.
On the 30th August, 2020, the frontline workers of COVID-19 will be honoured with the VGMA COVID-19 Heroes Concert, also starting at 8 pm.
In this write-up, I have made my predictions about who wins what in most of the categories, taking into consideration the category definitions and the work done by the artistes in the year under review (January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020).
The nominees, highlighted, are my picks for the respective categories.
Gospel Song of the Year
The Gospel Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most popular Gospel Song released in the year under review. The song must have generated the most excitement during the year.
Celestine Donkor ft Nhyiraba Gideon- Agbebolo
MOG Music- Hallelujah
Joe Mettle- Mehia Wo Yesu
Diana Hamilton – W’asem
Joyce Blessing -Repent
Nacee- Mpaebo
Reggae Song of the Year
The Reggae song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most popular Reggae song released in the year under review. The song must have generated the most excitement during the year.
Ras Kuku- Me Mpaebo
J. Derobie- Poverty
Epixode -Resolution
AK Songstress – Stamina
Jupitar- Top Shella
Article Wan- Reggae
Best Group of the Year
The Best Group of the Year is the Artistes adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the group with the highest audience appeal and popularity. They must comprise at least 2 or more members and must have released a hit single/album during the year under review.
DopeNation
Kwan Pa
Bethel Revival Choir
La Meme Gang
Best Rapper of the Year
The Best Rapper of the year is adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the rap Artiste with the best word compositions, rhymes and rap dexterity on a popular song released in the year under review.
EL
Strongman
Medikal
Sarkodie
Teephlow
Eno Barony
Kwesi Arthur
Most Popular Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is the song nominated solely by the public and adjudged by the Academy, Board and General Public as the most popular song released in the year under review. The song must have enjoyed a lot of patronage and generated the most excitement during the year.
Quamina MP – Amanfour Girls
Sarkodie – Oofeetso
Medikal – Omo Ada
Dope Nation – Zanku
Agbebolo – Celestine Donkor
Kuami Eugene – Obiaato
Kofi Kinaata – Things Fall Apart
Diana Hamilton – W’asem
Kwesi Arthur – Nobody
Fameye – Nothing I Get Remix
KiDi – Mr Badman
Artiste(s) of the Year
The Artiste of the Year is the Artiste(s) adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the artiste who released a hit single/album during the year under review and has a high audience appeal and popularity, Must be one of the artistes with the highest nominations in the year under review.
Kuami Eugene
Sarkodie
Medikal
Kofi Kinaata
Diana Hamilton
Hiplife/Hip Hop Artiste(s) of the Year
The Hiplife/Hip Hop Artiste of the Year is the Artiste(s) adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as having with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the Hiplife/Hip Hop Genre. They must have released a hit single/album during the year under review.
Kofi Mole
Quamina MP
Joey B
Medikal
Kwesi Arthur
Sarkodie
Dopenation
Highlife Artiste(s) of the Year
The Highlife Artiste(s) of the Year is the Artiste(s) adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the Artiste(s) with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the Highlife genre. The Artiste(s) must have released a hit single/album during the year under review.
King Promise
KiDi
Kuami Eugene
Dada Hafco
Akwaboah
Adina
Kofi Kinaata
Reggae/Dancehall Artiste(s) of the Year
The Reggae/Dancehall Artiste(s) of the Year is the Artiste(s) adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the Artiste(s) with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the Reggae/Dancehall genre. The Artiste(s) must have released a hit single/album in the year under review.
J Derobie
Epixode
Ras Kuuku
Samini
Jupitar
AK Songstress
Gospel Artiste(s) of the Year
The Gospel Artiste(s) of the Year is the Artiste adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the Artiste(s) with the highest audience appeal and popularity in the Gospel genre. The Artiste(s) must have released a hit single/album during the year under review.
Celestine Donkor
Joe Mettle
Joyce Blessing
MOGMusic
Diana Hamilton
Akesse Brempong
New Artiste of the Year
The New Artiste of the Year is the Artiste(s) adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most promising and talented emerging artiste (s). The award goes to a relatively new artiste(s) who released a single/album that establishes the public identity of the artiste.
Fameye
J.Derobie
Lord Paper
Kofi Mole
Tulenkey
MOG Music
Best Collaboration of the year
The Best Collaboration of the year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the song released through the collaboration/featuring of two or more Artistes. The song must have been released and generated the most excitement during the year under review.
Amanfuor Girls by Quamina MP
Bra by King Promise
Oofeetso by Sarkodie
Noting I Get Remix by Fameye
Ohemaa by Kuami Eugene
Mea by Kelvynboy
Mr Badman by KiDi
Saara by Sarkodie
Hiplife Song of the Year
The Hiplife Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most popular Hiplife song released in the year under review. The song must have generated the most excitement during the year.
Quamina MP ft. Medikal – Amanfour Girls
Guru ft Kweysi Swat – Wobete
Sarkodie ft Prince Bright- Oofeetso
Medikal- Omo Ada
Sista Afia ft Quamina MP and Medika l- Weather
Highlife Song of the Year
The Highlife song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the
General Public as the most popular Highlife song released in the year under review and generated the most excitement during the year.
King Promise ft Kojo Antwi- Bra
Sarkodie ft Efya -Saara
Dada Hafco ft Fameye -Our Story
Kofi Kinaata – Things Fall Apart
Kuami Eugene – Obiaato
Sista Afia ft Kelvenboy – Corner Corner
Adina – Sika
Fameye ft Kuami Eugene, Medikal and Article Wan -Notin A Get Remix
Afrobeats Song of the Year
The Afrobeats Song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most popular song that is a cross-pollination of music genres.
The song must have generated the most excitement during the year under review.
EL ft AI -Adwuma
King Promise – Comando
Kelvynboy ft Joey B- Mea
Darkovibes ft Kidi – Bless Me
Kwesi Arthur ft Mr Eazi- Nobody
Kidi ft Kwesi Arthur- Mr Badman
Dopenation- Zanku
Guilty Beats ft Mr Eazi and Kwesi Arthur-Pilolo
Wendy Shay -All for you
Hip Hop Song of the Year
The Hip Hop song of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy, Board and the General Public as the most popular Hip Hop song released in the year under review. The song must have generated the most excitement during the year.
Kofi Mole- Don’t Be Late
Sarkodie – Bleeding
Kwaw Kese ft Mr Eazi, Skonti, Medikal and Sarkodie -Dondo Remix
Medikal ft Kofi Mole and Joey B- Drip
Joey B ft Kwesi Arthur and Sarkodie- La Familia
Eno Barony ft Kofi Mole- Mind your business
Kwesi Arthur- Thoughts of King Arthur 5
Strongman ft Manifest – Up and Down
Album of the Year
The Album of the Year is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the most outstanding compilation of hit songs on an album that was released during the year under review.
It must have generated the most excitement during the year.
King Promise – As Promised
Okyeame Kwame – Made In Ghana
Joe Mettle – Wind of Revival
KiDi – Sugar
Sarkodie – Black Love
Nacee – Time With God
Kwesi Arthur – Live From Nkrumah Krom II
Best Male Vocal Artiste of the Year
The Best Male Vocal Artiste is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the Male artiste (solo) with the best vocal delivery/Performance on any musical presentation which was released during the year under review.
Joe Mettle
Kuami Eugene
KiDi
King Promise
MOG Music
Best Female Vocal Artist of the Year
The Best Female Act is adjudged by the Academy and Boards as the Female artiste (solo) with the best vocal delivery/Performance on any musical presentation which was released during the year under review.
Adina
Lamisi
Efya
Efe Grace
Becca
Celestine Donkor
Music Video of the Year
The Music Video of the Year is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the most creative and entertaining music video produced within the calendar year. The song for which the video has been produced, need not have been released in the year under review. The award goes to both Director and Artiste
Cina Soul -Killi Mi (Directed by Gene Adu)
RJZ- Bye Bye (Directed by Henry Akrong)
Medikal ft Kofi Mole and Joey B- Drip (Directed by Yaw Skyface)
Becca ft Tiya Savage- Yes I do (AJE Filmworks)
Kuami Eugene – Obiaato (Directed by REX)
Celestine Donkor ft Nhyiraba Gideon- Agbebolo (Directed by Abass)
EL ft FALZ, Joey B -Ehua (Directed by Yaw Skyface)
Joey B ft Kwesi Arthur- La Familia (Directed Babs Direction)
Zeetm ft Fancy Gadam- Totori (Directed by Babs Direction)
Epixode-Wahala Dey (Directed by Snares films)
Songwriter of the Year
The Song Writer of the Year is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the Song Writer(s) responsible for the song with the most original lyrics and compositions for any released song during the year under review.
Bra by King Promise
Sanbra by Akwaboah
Things Fall Apart by Kofi Kinaata
W’asem by Diana Hamilton
Oh Me by Lamisi
Wahala Dey by Epixode
Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the most outstanding original song that was released during the year under review. It may not have enjoyed huge commercial success, but has quality artistic and production values.
Aka Kee Moko by Trigmatic
Blema Tesaa by Perez Muzik
Bolgatanga Girl by Okyeame Kwame
Oh Me by Lamisi
Sanbra by Akwaboah
Woezor by Worlasi
Dzigbordi by Lord Paper
Music Producer of the Year
The Music Producer of the Year is adjudged to be the Producer(s) directly responsible for the production of the Song of the Year.
Guilty Beats
Two Bars
MOG
Unkle Beats
Willis Beats
African Artiste(s) of the Year
The African Artiste(s) of the Year is the Artiste(s) (non-Ghanaian) adjudged solely by the Board as the act whose music crossed borders and made the most impact on the continent at large during the year under review.
Burna Boy
Teni
Big Trill
Mercy Chinwo
Rudebwoy
Sho Madjodzi
Davido
International Collaboration of the Year
The International Collaboration of the Year is the song adjudged by the Academy and Board as the song released through the collaboration/featuring of two or more international artistes, at least one Ghanaian ad the other from any other country. The song must have been released within the year under review.
Cinderella by KiDi ft Mayorkum & Peruzzi
Lucky by Sarkodie ft Rudebwoy
Yes I Do by Becca ft Tiwa Savage
Father by Medikal ft Davido
Pilolo by Guilty Beats ft Mr Eazi & Kwesi Arthur
Sugar Daddy by KiDi ft Mr Eazi
Nobody by Kwesi Arthur ft Mr. Eazi
Toto Remix by Edem ft Davido